Crate or basket top fastener



Jan. 24, 1928. 1,656,945

W. E. HATCH CRATE OR BASKET TOP FASTENER QXJH u comm Patented Jun. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATE,

s Parent oFFlcE. 1

mm mmw WILLIAM E. HATCH, or s'r. JQSEZPI-I, MIcIIIsAn, assrenon so sr. IosErI-I Inon worms, or s1. JOSEPH, 1vIIcIIIeAN, A conronerron or IIIonIean.

CRATE OR BASKET TOP EASTENER,

Application filed July so, 1926.. semi No. 126,023.

This invention relates to receptacles such as baskets or crates used in shipping fruits, vegetables and the like and has for its object the provision of novel fastening means whereby the cover or top of the crate, basket or the like may be held closed.

The ordinary type of hamper, basket, crate, or other analogous receptacle used in storing and shipping various commodities has an open top which is provided with an inner and an outer reinforcing strip serving as a stop or seat for the cover or top which constitutes the closure for the receptacle. The upper edges of such reinforcing strips are generally in a plane with the top edges of the receptacle and the cover is adapted to fit thereon substantially flush with the sides of the walls, except when the receptacle is heaped with fruit or other filling. It is customary to make use of a length of wire extended across the top of the cover with its ends wrapped or twisted about large-headed nails which are driven into the sides or ends of the receptacle, this wire acting to hold the cover closed during shipment or whenever desired.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide fastening means to replace the ordinary nails commonly provided, the fastening means being in the nature of a staple shaped to define a neck and head portion, about the former of which may be engaged the wire provided for holding the cover in lace. p

Another ob ect of the invention is to provide a fastener of this character which when applied, passes through the reinforcing strips provided upon the outside and the inside of the receptacle, as well as through the walls of the latter, the fastener consequently acting to hold the parts together and increasing the security.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a fastener which may be formed from a single length of wire or the like and which will consequently be extremely inex pensive to manufacture, the device itself being also easy to apply and greatly faciliteiting the work of securing the cover in ace.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of an ordinary bushel basket equipped with a cover held in place by wire cooperating with my fastening means.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary Vertical section showinga pair of the fasteners in elevation.

Figure 3 is a detail-view of one of the fasteners alone, and

Figure 4- is a similar view of a slightly modified form-of fastener.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the letter A designates, generally, areceptacle which is here shown as a bushel basket formed of staves but which might, of course, be of some other detailed construction inasmuch as this forms no part ofthe present invention. Ordinarily, such a basket or the like is'provided at its open top with an exteriorly arranged strip B having its upper edge flush with the upper edges of said staves and constituting a reinforcement. There is also provided an interiorly located strip 0 which has its upper edge also flush with the open top so as to servenot only as a reinforcement but also'in some cases as seat or abutment for the cover D. The above details may of course be varied and there is no limitation as to the application of the invention, to be described, to this particular type of receptacle or container, the disclosure beingmerely for purposes of illustration.

In carrying out the invention I provide a plurality of fasteners indicated generally at 10, two of such fasteners located at diametrically opposite points, being generally suffioient. Each'of these fasteners is of substantially staple-like formation and may be constructed from a single piece of wire of suit-able material and gauge, the wire being bent into substantial ll-shape to define ahead 11 and spaced parallel arms 12. At points spaced from the head the opposite sides of the U-shaped member are pressed or bent inwardly as shown at 13 to define a constricted neck 14, the bent portions preferablycon tacting as shown The exact method of bending and the tools or machine employed for carrying out the same do not of course enter into the present invention which concerns simply the fastener itself and the manner in which it is used.

In applying the fastener, the arms 12 are forced through the strip B, the open edge portion of the receptacle A and the strip G to which the ends of the arms 12 proje ':ting into the receptacle are subsequently clinched, as indicated at Assuming that the receptacle has been equipped with a pair of the fasteners and it is desired to close the same, the cover D is placed on top of the receptacle, or inserted within the open top so as to seat upon the strip C. WVhile any form of cover may be used that shown comprises a circular hoop E, which may be of substantially the same diameter as that of the outer reinforcing hoop or strip B (as shown) or maybe smaller, in some cases, to iit within the mouth of the receptacle and upon the inner reinforcing hoop or strip C, in which latter case the said inner strip will occupy a position below the top of the receptacle and the outer strip, to allow said cover to fit therein. In shipping certain kinds of fruits or vegetables or the like, however, it is customary to heap the contents somewhat above the sides of the container, when a cover of the kind illustrated is used. This cover includes transverse slats F which are spaced apart and nailed or otherwise secured to the said hoop E, the ends of the slats conforming there with. A top cross bar G is nailed to the slats F at the centers of the same and transversely thereof, the ends of the bar extending outwardly beyond the rim or hoop E and the same are adapted to be engaged with the handles H of the basket which are usually formed of stout wire bent in the form of a bail and having its terminals clinched through the upper marginal reinforcing strips of the basket, as shown.

Use is then made of a suitable length of wire 16 which is preferably doubled upon itself intermediate its ends, the bend or bight 17 being engaged with the constricted neck 1st of one fastener. The wire is brought across or along the top D at right angles to the said bar G and across the same and engaged with the neck 14: of the other fastener and the two ends of the wire are then twisted together, as indicated at 18, so as to hold the cover firmly in place, said wire resting upon the upper edge of the hoop E and between the innermost pair of slats F. It will be observed that the heads of the fasteners extend vertically when the receptacle is in normal or upright position, or in other words that the arms of each fastener lie in a plane coincident with the wire and at right angles to the open edge of the receptacle. It is therefore clear that the fastener will be strong and that there will be practically no likelihood of its bending or breaking ofi' even though considerable strain is brought upon it ends the case when the cover is bulged as the result of being pressed down upon an over-tall crate or the like. I urthermore the fasteners act to hold the strips B and G in place, the striuature being conserpiently strengthened and a fourpoint fastening of the cover obtained by means of the basket handle and the improved devices.

In Figure l of the drawing there is shown a fastener of slightly modilied form, in which the head 11: is joined to the clinching arms 12 by converging arms 19 which may serve to bind the hight portion 1'? of the fastening wire 16, in the same manner as the first described form of the invention.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a very simple, inexpensive and easily applied fastener for the purpose specified and one which will result in a positive holding action. It is thought that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that I reserve the right to make all such changes and variations in the details of construction and the arrangement as will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the suhjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:-

1. A crate or basket comprising, in combination, a body whose upper edge is bound by inner and outer reinforcing strips; a top for the body; and means to secure the top comprising a plurality of wire staple fastenors each having two le s passed through said strips to secure the same upon the body, and clenched on the inside of the body, each staple also having a head and a reduced neck, both of which are outside of the body; and a wire secured around the necks of said staple fasteners and passing across the top o E the crate or basket.

2. A crate or basket comprising, in combination, a body whose upper edge bound by inner and outer reinforcing strip a top for the body; and means to secure the top comprising a plurality of Wire staple fasteners each having two legs passed through said strips to secure the same upon the body, and clenched on the inside of the body, each staple being bent to provide a reduced neck which lies immediately adjacent the outer surface of the outer reinforcing strip, and to provide an enlarged head; and a wire secured around the necks of said sta ile fasteners and passing across the top of the crate or basket.

3. A crate or haslwl: comprising, in combination, a body; a top for the body; and

means to secure the top comprising a plurality of wire staple fasteners each clenched on the inside of the body, each staple 1 ing in a substantially vertical plane With ent together portions lying against the outside of the basket or crate, providing a reduced neck for attachment of the top holding member; and a flexible member secured around the necks of said staple fasteners and passing across the top of the crate or 1 basket and being held by the staple heads.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aifixed my signature. 4

WILLIAM E. HATCH. 

